McVay: I don't think Donald's holdout will end 'in the near future'
Aaron Donald has held strong thus far in a contractual holdout that is expected to keep him off the field entirely until he's presented a new deal that meets his standards.
Rams head coach Sean McVay doesn't expect the star defensive lineman to back down anytime soon.
"I don’t think anything’s going to change with that in the near future," McVay said Monday, according to Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times. "I’ve had a little bit of dialogue with Aaron and we’re hopeful that we’ll get something done."
There is an Aug. 7 deadline for Donald to report to training camp in order to accrue a full season of service time toward free agency. McVay says that deadline doesn't carry much importance to the team.
"I don’t think there’s any realistic deal to kind of that Aug. 7 being a date that changes really anything. But you never know. And things remain the same," McVay added.
Donald has no plans to rejoin the team by that deadline, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. A hold out beyond Tuesday could limit Donald to restricted free agent status next offseason.
The three-time All-Pro is set to play the 2018 season on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract. His cap hit of just under $6.9 million ranks 12th among Rams players, according to Over The Cap.
With h/t to Pro Football Talk